Female player development at Lavie

Olá, I’m Tai Correa, originally from Brazil, but proud to have called New Zealand home for the past 13 years. My life has always been rooted in movement: first as a professional dancer, and now as a strength and conditioning coach, mobility specialist, and sports nutritionist.

Growing up, I often faced ups and downs in training and performance without the tools or knowledge to navigate them. No one spoke openly about cycles, nutrition, or how our bodies truly worked. Looking back, I know how much those strategies would have helped me not just to stay functional when I needed it most, but to care for my body with love and adapt to its changes with confidence.

That’s why I’m passionate about guiding young female athletes through these early stages with education, communication, and support. Too often, girls feel ashamed to talk about their bodies or emotions in sport, as if being open was a weakness. But here’s the truth: we are strong and determined, yes - but also vulnerable, unique, and complex. We are all of it and more. And sport needs to make space for this reality: not just for the pretty photos, endorsements, or “just get on with it,” but for what female athletes truly need to reach their full potential.

The teenage years bring so much change physically, emotionally, and mentally. My role is to help girls understand those changes, adapt their training when needed, fuel their bodies properly, and build confidence along the way. Most of all, I want them to know that their differences are not limits, they are their greatest strength. And on the hard days physically, the mind plays a fundamental role.

That’s why I’m so excited for our upcoming Female Performance Camp, 22-24 September.

In my talk, I’ll be covering:

• Training female athletes: how to adapt training to the cycle and stay strong and functional. Being female doesn’t mean we can’t train hard. We can, sometimes harder than others. And when we learn to stay functional, supported by smart nutrition, we perform with energy, recover better, and build mental resilience.
• Nutrition to support performance: what to eat around training, why carbs are our ally, and how to recover well.
• Personal experience: my journey as a female athlete, and why education matters so much.
• Confidence and individuality: embracing that we are all different, and that is our strength. At young age, we start building the future woman we will become.

This camp is about more than Tennis and Strength and Conditioning. It’s about giving girls the tools and confidence I wish I had at their age to train hard, fuel smart, embrace who they are, and explore their full potential.

My vision for the future of female performance is bold: to inspire the next generation of athletes to grow into women who are deeply connected to their bodies, strong in their minds, and unapologetically themselves on and off the court.

I am looking forward to seeing you there.

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Smiles,
Tai